This invention relates to motorcycle helmets having an internally mounted communications headset including a microphone and receivers, and more particularly to such headsets that are of modular construction.
Many motorcycles have built-in intercom communications capabilities and radios such as CB radios. In the prior art, impact resistance helmets are known having receivers mounted within the helmet, but the microphone has been secured to a boom or post mounted to the outside of the helmet, the boom acting to position the microphone adjacent the mouth of the user. Because the boom is secured outside the helmet, if a helmet is dropped, which is not uncommon due to the irregular surfaces, such as a motorcycle seat, on which the helmets are placed, the hardware holding the boom frequently is broken when it strikes the ground. Moreover, the boom structure is permanently secured as a unit to a receiver and the wiring may be permanently connected to the wiring leading from the motorcycle harness. Thus, when the boom or its supporting hardware is broken or otherwise fails, the entire headset unit must be replaced, or the helmet discarded.
In addition, the known prior art has but a single central volume control for controlling the microphone and the receivers. No other control is generally provided even when the motorcycle is used by two people. Thus, when used by two riders, the volume is generally only satisfactory to one rider. The other rider may then find the volume level too loud or too low. If the volume level is corrected for this rider, it may not be satisfactory for the other.